Thawing means for radiators



B. M. COBE.

THAWING MEANS FOR RADIATORS. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV- 5, IQIB. I 1,360, 178 Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

94 65 9 WITNESSES INVENTOI? M W ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES runron MARTINcorn, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

THAWING MEANS FOR RADIATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

Application filed November 5, 1918. Serial No. 261,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. BURTON M. Conn, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York,borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have inventeda new and Improved Thawing Means for Radiators, of which the followingis a full, clear, and exact description. 1

The invention relates to radiators of internal combustion engines suchas are used on automobiles, aeroplanes and the like, and its object isto provide a new and improved thawing means arranged to permit ofquickly thawing out a frozen radiator on starting the internalcombustion engine. Another object is to provide a thawing means whichcan be readily applied to the various makes of radiators without unduealteration in the construction of the radiators or in the operation oftheengines. Another object is to provide a thawing attachment which canbe readily attached to or detached from the radiator at the beginning ofthe warm season.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the thaw ing means as applied, partbeing shown broken out. and the chassis being shown in cross section;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same;

Fig. 4.- is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the slip jointconnection between the inlet pipe of the steamchamber and the branchpipe of the overflow pipe of the radiator;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the lower end of theoverflow pipe;

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified formof the thawing means asapplied, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same'with parts shown in section;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of part of the same onthe line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of another mgilified form of thawing meansas applied; an

Fig. lO'is a side elevation of the same with parts in section.

The radiator illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 for the internal combustionengine 21 is of usual construction, and in front of the lower portion ofthe radiator 20 is held av steam heating chamber 22 extending from oneside of the radiator to the other and provided at its back with openings23 for the discharge of the steam in the chamber 22 with a view todirect such steam into the lower portion of the radiator 20 to thaw outthe same in case it is frozen. The steam heating chamber 22 is providedat its bottom with a steam inlet pipe 24 detachably connected by acoupling 25 with a branch pipe 26 connected with the lower portion ofthe overflow pipe 28 of the radiator and leading from the filling tap 29ofthe radiator in the usual manner. The overflow pipe 28 is providedwith a bottom 30 having openings 31 for the escape of the overflowwater. The openings 31 are adapted to be closed by an overflow 32mounted to slide on the stem 33 attached to the bottom 30, and the saidvalve 82 is normally held in open position by a spring 34 coiled on thestem 33 and resting on the bottom 30. It will be noticed that in coldweather and while the automobile and other vehicle or craft is at astandstill, the water in the radiator, especially in the lower portionthereof, is liable to freeze and when this happens and the user startsthe engine 21 then steam is generated in the upper portion of theradiator 20 owing to the scant flow of the cooling water through thewater jackets of the engine cylinders. Now this steam in the upperportion of the radiator 20 passes downward in the overflow pipe 28andforces the valve 32 to its seat on the bottom 30 thus closing theoutlets 31. The steam in the overflow pipe 28 passes by way of thebranch pipe 26, coupling 25 and steam inlet pipe 24 into the steamheating chamber 22 from which the steam passes in jets through theopenings 23 into and through the air passages in the lower portion ofthe radiator 20 thus heating the radiator and thereby thawing the frozenwaterin the radiator. When this condition is reached the radiator againfunctions normally and hence the generation of steam ceases and thevalve 32 moves back into open position thus allowing the water ofcondensation and the overflow water to pass out through the pipe 28 byway of the openings 31 in the bottom 30 "of said overflow pipe 28.

In order to detachably hold the steam heating chamber 22 in positionagainst the front face of the radiator 20 the following arrangements aremade: The sides of the steam heating chamber 22 are provided with eyes40 engaged by hooks 41 secured to springs 42 provided with hooks 43adapted to be engaged with the usual fastening devices 44 for lockingthe hood of the engine in position on the chassis 45. By disconnectingthe hooks 43 from the fastening devices 44 the steam heating chamber 22can be readily removed from the front of the radiator 20 especially asthe pipe 24 has a detachable connection by the coupling 25 with thebranch pipe 26 of the overflow pipe 28. By reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3it will be noticed that the steam heating chamber 22 obstructs but aportion of the air passing through the radiator and this is of advantageespecially in winter time as less air is required for properly coolingthe circulating water for the engine .cylinders.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the radiator is providedat the front with a shutter 51 having movable slats 52 for allowing moreor less air to pass through the radiator 50. The slats 52in this caseare made hollow and each forms a steam heating chamber provided withopenings 53 for directing steam into the lower portion of the radiator.Each slat 52 is provided with trunnions 54, "55, of which the trunnions54 are journaled in bearings arranged on the left-hand side 56 of theradiator. -The trunnions are hollow and areournaled in Ts 60 arranged'in the overflow pipe 61 leading from the filling nozzle 62 of theradiator. Thelow er end of the overflow pipe 61 is provided with a valve65 for opening or closing the overflow pipe 61. The valve 65 isconnected at its valve stem 66 with a suitable mechanism 67 under thecontrol of the operator in charge of the automobile to open or close thevalve 65. The stem 66 ,is provided with an arm 68 connected by a link 69with a slat operating rod 70 having the usual link connection 'TIwiththe several slats 52 to swing the same into open or closed position. Itis understood that the valve 65 is normally openand the slats 52are'inclined, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 vto permit the air to passthrough the. radiator. In case the radiator,

however, is frozen then-the operator actuates the operating mechanism 67with a view to close the valve 65 and to move the slats 52 into verticalor closed position. The steam generated in the radiator on running theengine passes through the overflow pipe 61 and the hollow trunnions 55into thehollow slats 52 from which the steam passes in jets through theopenings 53 into the radiator to thaw out the same.

In the modified form shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the steam heating chambersare in the form of transverse tubes extending across the front of theradiator 81 and provided at their backs with jet openings 82 for thepassage of the steam into the air passages of the radiator 81. The pipes80 are connected by elbows 83 with the overflow pipe 84 the same asabove described in reference to the construction disclosed in Figs. 6and 7. The lower end of the overflow pipe 84 is provided with a valve 85controlled by a connection 86 within reach of the operator in charge ofthe automobile. Normally the valve 85. is open but in case the radiator81 is frozen then the operator opens the valve 85 prior to starting theengine so that the steam generated in the radiator 81 can flow by way ofthe overflow pipe 84 and the T elbows 83 into the pipes 80 from whichthe steam passes by way of the jet openings 82 into the air passages ofthe radiator to heat the latter and thereby thaw out the same.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. A thawing means for the r'adiaton of an internalcombustion engine, comprising steam distributing means arranged adjacentto the lower portion of the radiator and provided with openings for thedischarge of steam into the radiator, said steam distributing meansbeing associated with the radiator and deriving its steam supplytherefrom.

2. A thawing means for the radiator of an internal combustion engine,comprising a radiator, the saidchamber and detachably connected with theoverflow pipe of the radiator, and

a valved outlet in the bottom of the overflow pipe below said connectionbetween the supply pipe and the spverflow pipe, said valved outlet beingnormally opened and arranged to be closed by the pressure of the steamWithin the overflow pipe.

BURTON MARTIN COBE.

